Clinical Trials For Colon Cancer

Cure rates and life expectancy for colon cancer patients are much higher now than they were even ten years ago. This is because of research and clinical trials. It is a common misconception that entering a clinical trial should only be as a last resort and that by entering a trial you are resigning to being a “guinea pig”. Neither of these is the case for the vast majority of trials. Some clinical trials do not involve taking experimental drugs but only involve taking samples to learn more about the molecular causes of colon cancer. Some trials test new ways of reducing side effects from existing chemotherapies and some trials are looking to enroll patients in remission to find the best ways of keeping them in remission. Indeed, some clinical trials do give hope to patients whose cancer has not gotten better by offering therapies that are safe but not yet proven effective. One often overlooked fact is clinical trials are usually conducted in the best medical institutions in the country. Therefore, a “side effect” of participating in a clinical trial is that you will get access to outstanding doctors and facilities. We recommend discussing the possibility of participating in clinical trials soon after your diagnosis. To learn more about clinical trials in you area, click here.